Posts by learn

When planning your first small business website, there are three essential questions you should ask yourself:

Who is your target audience?

How will your target audience find you?

How will you convert your visitors into sales?

These questions sound obvious, but it’s amazing how many people don’t bother…and then moan that “our website doesn’t bring us any business”.

1) Who is your target audience?

Give a great deal of thought to your target market. Who do you want to attract to your website? Why? The answer to that is more than likely to sell them something – a product, a service, or an idea perhaps.

Claiming that your market is anyone and everyone is far too vague, and your website will lack focus, and fail to maximise its potential. Ideally you should be aiming to create a niche.

2) How will they find you?

Creating a niche will also help you with the search engines, and drive hot leads to your site.

Consider what keywords your target market might type into a search engine to find you. Actually do the searches yourself. Who comes up in the top 30? Because that’s where you need to be. Are your competitors there? Look at their sites. Do they work? How can you improve on them? Identify something unique about your business that sets it apart from the rest.

Those keywords – or keyphrases to be more accurate – need to be incorporated into your pages of your site – in the page titles, in the headings, and in the internal links.
Be specific with your keyphrases. They will be less competitive than the more general single word searches, and will more accurately target your market. You may have to localise or specialise to get in that top 30 – and the top 30 is where you need to be to drive traffic to your site. As I am sure you are aware from your own experience, if you haven’t found what you are looking for in the first 3 results pages, you look elsewhere.

The key to achieving high search engine rankings is building inbound links to your web pages – that is pages on external websites that link to pages on your site. Crucially this link acquisition should be a natural growth – where inbound link count increases at a gradual pace. The pages that link to yours should be relevant, on-topic and ideally contain the same keywords – especially in the linking text. Search engines rank pages based upon their reputation – your ranking will be determined by what other (preferably high ranking) pages say about your page.

3) How will you convert your visitors into sales?

Don’t just tell them what you do or sell. Tell them why they want it (yes, want – not need). Offer incentives, freebies, discounts – anything to get that dialogue started.

Current research indicates that the human brain makes a judgment about a web page within a twentieth of a second! That doesn’t leave you very long to make an impression. So, make sure that you have your Unique Selling Point (USP) clearly visible on your home page – and preferably prominent on every one of your other pages. After all, it’s not a given that the home page will be the first page that the visitor sees, particularly if they have found you via a search engine.

Then make sure that you list your bullet-pointed guarantees. Visitors have to understand why you are different from the rest, and why they should deal with you and not your competitors. And as we’ve discovered, they have to understand this pretty much instantly.

Lastly, make sure that your site has a funnel-like structure. Identify your important pages – usually the “call to action” or purchase pages – and make sure all roads lead to those pages. Your internal links – like their external equivalents – should describe the target page. If you sell blue widgets, don’t call your products page “Products”, call it “blue widgets”, and make sure that the links pointing at this page also say “blue widgets”. This will not only help the search engines identify and rank the most important pages in your site, it will also lead your visitor to that all important conversion.

Many companies throughout the world today are operating their business with no website. When the internet keeps moving forward and advancing, your business needs to advance as well. If companies do not own or operate an online business as well as a physical business, they will lose out on sales and additional profits.

There are so many valid reasons why owning and operating a website is important. Reaching your target market in your own area is one thing, but having a website allows you to reach your target market world wide. Many more individuals and companies are becoming computer and internet savvy, this means to stay atop of the competition, you need to have a website that is not only informative but functional and professional. If marketed properly you should have sales or contacts via your website that are valid and valuable.

Every business needs to have an advertising campaign, and including your current website in that is vital to success on the internet. It’s not good enough to just have a website; you need to invest time and money into your online business. Between pay per click advertising and the search engine marketing, it is more important than ever to keep the online public aware of the services and goods you provide. Whether you decide to hire out these tasks to a web design or marketing company or do the job yourself, it is the most important factor to getting your website awareness out there to the public.

If you own a business and it is not online, this is really a huge factor that needs to be considered. Not only will owning a website help your current clients, with items such as your office hours, prices or services available, it will allow your online audience to see what great products and services you offer, and possibly inspire them into action!

Happy Independence Day for all of my friends in the United States. It was on July 4th of 1776 that the 13 colonies declared their independence from Great Britain and eventually formed the United State of America. On that day 56 brave men signed the Declaration of Independence. This document starts out like this:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–…

Each July 4th Americans celebrate this great event by having cookouts and fireworks and get-togethers with family and friends only to go back to jobs and occupations that have them enslaved.

You see the model that we have been taught from grade school is to go to school and get good grades so you can get a good job. A job where you, in most instances, you will work 40 hours a week for just enough pay to make ends meet and look forward to the weekend.

It use to be that you could even find a job where you could work for 30 or 40 years and retire but those days are no more. Today if you stay on a job for 5 or 6 years you are doing well. But beware, as I found, the older you get the harder it gets to find the next job. I know you say we have laws that “keep employers from discrimination due to age.” This is true but when it comes to age discrimination employers have become adapt at finding ways around the laws and you never get an interview in the first place.

So our model, as some call it, the 40, 40 40 plan no longer works. That is work 40 hours a week for 40 years only to retire on 40% of your income. So there has to be a better way!

A Better Way

So what is a better way? A better way, in my humble opinion, is to go to school and get a good job to help finance your own business. A business that you can grow over time and eventually work 100% of the time because it begins to pay you more than the good job does. The late Jim Rohn use to say ” Work hard at your job and you can make a living. Work hard on yourself and you can make a fortune.” So while you are working at your “good job” learn all you can about business but spend your extra time to build your dreams.

In order to do that you need to work on yourself. Jim Rohn also said “If you want to have more, you have to become more. For things to change, you have to change. For things to get better you have to get better. For things to improve, you have to improve. If you grow, everything grows for you.”

In other words you have to learn more in order to have more. So while you are working on your job, start looking for ways that you can become your own business person. Learn a new trade, like internet marketing. Be on guard because you can find yourself running around in circles and spending your hard earned cash on schemes that never work. I would suggest that you find a mentor who can guide you and help you get around all of the pitfalls.

Everyone should have a blog online, it’s the most important site you will ever create bar none. It helps your readers connect with you and find out what you’re really about. If done right you can generate traffic, build your income and make massive profits while creating an army of followers.

However, there is a problem? Not everyone knows how to start a blog that is going to bring these sort of results. You see so many people starting blogs, posting a few articles and then giving up due to lack of traffic, content, comments etc. This happens because those people are doing it wrong.

So when I found out that blogging expert, Dan Sumner had put together a comprehensive guide called The Bloggers Roadmap I had to find out more. After reading The Bloggers Roadmap from cover to cover here are my thoughts.

First of all let’s look at the product.

The Bloggers Roadmap is a complete guide to setting up and profiting from your very own blog. It’s a 27,000 word eBook that Daniel has poured everything he knows about blogs and blogging into a single guide. It’s very well written and covers everything you need to know.

Throughout the guide Dan has added tons of ‘blog tips’ to give you more ideas and I must say these are great little additions.

There is also a collection of video tutorials created by Dan which you can access as an extra investment. Again, these are well presented and walk you through the actual physical process of setting up your own blog, although the videos are not a requirement, if you feel you are a beginner in the blogging world they would probably help you get more from the product. So I must say they are more than worth the investment.

Who is this product for?

This product is for anyone that owns their own blog or wants to learn how to create and profit from their own blog. As this product only focuses on blogging if you don’t own a blog or never intend to then this product would be no good to you as it only covers blogging techniques. However, anyone who owns a blog or wants to learn how to create one can’t fail to benefit from this content as it covers everything you need to know in a step by step manner.

Does it work?

The fact Daniel has built a considerable blog following would make me say yes, after all if you create a product about blogging you better have a successful blog yourself, Daniel has and should you need to find out more you can check out Daniels Blog here.

Negatives.

The only real negative I can find is you have to pay more for the video training, however I feel this is actually done with the customers interests at heart as the eBook is so reasonably priced on it’s own at a currently discounted $9.95. Daniel has considered this and understands not everyone will want the extra training and those that do will only have to pay a small premium. Again.. This has amazing value and is more than worth this investment.

The answer is yes, as long as you are prepared to work at your blog, this is not a magic bullet and it does take work, but if you are prepared to put in a little effort I believe this is the finest blogging product you will ever find.

Blogging products are few and far between and this product is something you can refer to time and again to help you succeed in the blogging world and it comes with my highest recommendation.

As the world morns the loss of “The greatest of all time” Muhammad Ali, I was looking for a way to give a tribute to my hometown hero and ran across these Top 10 rules for success. These rules are not just for success in boxing but success in life. I got it from Evan Carmichael’s youtube channel. I hope you enjoy them.

On a personal note Muhammad Ali was my hero. As a child I was so proud to watch every match that came on tv. It was great to see a brother from Louisville, Ky shake up the world. Muhammad Ali not only shook up the world of boxing but he shook it up when he stood up against going to Vietnam as a conscientious objector. This took courage and boldness of the type we had not seen before. Even those that disagreed with his stance had to admire the courage and conviction it took to make this stance.

Rest in Peace Champ! In and out the ring your showed you were the greatest of all time.

It used to be that an author had to send out dozens of copies of their manuscript to various publishers and hope and pray their book would garner some interest. The majority would receive a very nicely worded rejection letter, but a rejection all the same. Sadly, much of the time it had little to do with the quality of the book itself but more with timing and the type of book. However, Kindle publishing has changed all that, allowing authors to self-publish and reach millions of customers, without having to pay a single penny.

Kindle Publishing: Fiction Authors Rejoice

If you’ve got a great book inside you, but have been afraid to sit down and write it because you are almost sure it will get rejected since the story isn’t an accepted formula that has proven successful, then you should start work on it as soon as possible. Traditional publishers tend to avoid anything they deem too risky, which often means that great stories are rejected simply because they aren’t in line with what the publisher thinks is popular.

However, with Kindle publishing, you can get your book in front of the public without having to wait for the acceptance of a traditional publishing house. In fact, many authors whose manuscripts were rejected repeatedly found great success by self-publishing through the Amazon system. This only goes to prove that publishers aren’t as in tune with the market as they believe they are and one can still find great success by using Kindle publishing.

Non-Fiction Authors Have a Great Platform

Kindle publishing has also given non-fiction authors an outstanding platform for them to bring their knowledge and expertise to the public via eBooks. So, if your heart is set on a non-fiction book, don’t worry about contacting traditional publishers because you can find just as much success, if not more, by using the Amazon platform.

Kindle publishing has allowed fiction and non-fiction authors to bring their work to the public. Not only has it helped many people turn their dreams into reality, but it has also allowed for the discovery of some amazing authors who had been ignored previously by traditional publishers or hadn’t even dared to attempt writing a book for fear of rejection. So, if you’ve always dreamed of being a published author, you have that opportunity now and you should grab hold of it with both hands.

Check out Kindle Publishing Mojo and get a step by step guide to publishing your very own book in kindle format.

Hey Gang,I am really pumped today! I managed to get a copy of a new system that shows exactly how to make serious profits on Kindle Publishing.

You see, I’ve considered putting an ebook or two up for sale on Kindle before, but I was skeptical about selling a thing. I was worried about the masses of competition and the really low sale prices.

That was before I picked up the Kindle Publishing Mojo system. Amazon has such enormously vast traffic numbers that it’s easy to attract plenty of attention for your ebook – when you know how.

Seriously, I am amazed at how much I didn’t know about making Kindle’s eBookstore work in my favor. The guide is just so easy to follow that anyone can cash in on Kindle!

What Does Kindle Publishing Mojo Show You?

Kindle Publishing Mojo goes into some serious detail showing you how to create e-books that will sell really well. It also shows you how to create compelling titles that stand out from the competition.

Another really helpful piece of advice I can’t recommend highly enough is formatting your ebook. Amazon Kindle ebooks need to be formatted in a certain way in order to be readable on a Kindle device. This guide really explains clearly exactly what you need to do to format your book properly so it looks professional and can be read properly by anyone using a Kindle reader.

Now, there’s quite a bit to learn about getting the whole Kindle Publishing thing right. However, Kindle Publishing Mojo makes it easy for you to make sure you don’t miss any important steps. The guide comes with a checklist to help you tick off all the tasks you need to get done before you publish your book.

There’s also a handy workbook to keep you on track without missing any of the important steps on your way to Kindle success.

Easy Steps to Kindle Success

While I was working my way through the Kindle Publishing Mojo system, I was focused on creating a great book that would sell well. And I admit, the guide was brilliant for helping me get that far.

But then the guide takes you by the hand and leads you through the exact steps you need to promote your book for maximum sales. It also shows you how to set your prices to ensure you earn the highest possible profits.

If you’ve ever considered releasing an ebook on Amazon’s Kindle Bookstore, you really can’t afford to do it without the help of the brilliant Kindle Publishing Mojo guide. Head over to Kindle Publishing Mojo now and launch your Kindle Publishing enterprise today. You won’t regret it!

Owning a website can and should be a very profitable endeavor. A good way to make money online is by selling ebooks and software with Master Resale Rights. Below are the top reasons Master resale rights are a viable web business solution, and why it needs to be something every web marketer should consider.

1. You don’t have to make up any content. This is perhaps the single most important reason Master Resale Rights are a good web business decision. Every web business needs a product to sell, and with master resale rights, you do not have to create anything. All of the content is done for you. You now have a ready made product that you can sell for any price you want.**

**Please note: Most resale rights packages give you free control over pricing, however some packages have a minimum package price. This is necessary as to not undervalue the package itself. As a business owner, it is important to have a competitive price, but you do not want to make the price so low that it makes the package appear to be worthless. Placing minimum prices helps to keep the package value high so it does not become “just another junk eBook with resale rights.” Please try to adhere to the pricing set by the original content creators.

2. It can be completely automated with no warehousing. Because the products you are selling are electronic, there are no physical goods to move or store. This makes storage and delivery completely free, as everything can be delivered through email, or through a download on your website. You can even set your business on “autopilot”, so once a purchase is made, the customer is automatically delivered the link or email. This makes each transaction hands-free, and allows you to spend your time where it is needed most. (Like with your family/friends/dog/xbox.)

3. Most ebooks and software with Master Resale Rights have a pre-made sales page. This alone could save you hours of frustration. Every webmaster knows creating a good sales page is a difficult task, but most resale rights packages have already done this for you. Most of the sales pages are written by professionals and are very well done. Because of this, most do not require any changes however, you do have the option of editing the sales page to your liking if you feel it needs some touch ups to really shine.

4. You keep 100% of all profits earned. Unlike affiliate programs where you get only a percentage of each sale, with master resale rights you get to keep all of your profits. You only pay a one time fee to acquire the product and resale rights, then you will never have to pay another dime again. There are no royalties or other fees to pay either. Why join an affiliate program that gives only 30% commissions, when you can have 100% of all profits made by your site with the same amount of effort?

5. You can repackage your Master Resale Rights products. You can create an entirely unique, “brand new” package by combining 2 or more ebooks together to create a resale rights package that is exclusive to you and your site. This gives you an advantage over every other site selling similar products, by making your packages unique. This uniqueness gives your package more value, making the customer more likely to purchase from you.

As you can see, master resale rights are a very profitable business solution for any web business, or it can be a valuable addition to any existing web site looking to branch out to improve its bottom line. With billions of dollars in annual sales of ebooks, software, and information products, there is not an easier way to make money from an already popular trend in online marketing.

This is a tough one. Most of the marketers overlook it. Why? Probably because it does require money. Second, probably because it does require a web site and some web storage somewhere on a server. But this is a great method of advertising and getting traffic to your web site or affiliate links.

How it works:
( for now, this is only a summary of what you could do with these e-books)

1. Buy an e-book with resell rights

What that means is that you can store it and sell it from your web site for any price above the specified X price in the reseller rights information of the e-book – yes, the author can sue you if you don’t respect his conditions, after all, that’s HIS/HER WORK and not yours

2. If you have ‘ GIVE AWAY” rights for it, DO IT
It is a freebie for your website visitors after all, and he may come back for more!

3. If you don’t have the right to give it away, don’t do it!

4. If the rights say that you can give it away as a site membership freebie, then charge a small site membership fee and give the e-book away

5. If the rights specify that you can offer it as a bonus when a customer buys any other product from you, offer it as a bonus!

You are going to say: ” Hey, why would I want to give it away for free? I paid money for this e-book!”

And I would say : “So what?”
Cause here is the deal:

– You want your first time visitor to come back your site for more and more and more …
– You want your site members to be happy with their $2/month membership
– Most important: Some of these e-books come with a rebranding option, meaning that all the referral links INSIDE the e-book will be yours at the point when you rebrand the book ( similar to Viral Marketing – click here)

Example:

Let’s say you buy an e-book called “Weight Loss 101 ” ( maybe it even exists); at a first brainstorm, what could you have in a book like that? I would say:

– Weight Loss Pills

– Weight Loss by Dieting

– Weight Loss by Exercising

– Weight Loss with Patches

– Weight Loss with Whatever Else

Now, there are a lot of websites that the author could like for every method described in his e-book. Heck, what am I saying? He could probably link every WORD of his e-books to a web site with related products – if he wanted to.
If every link is your referral link, what do you think it is going to happen?
Any not-that-thin customer that downloaded the FREE “Weight Loss 101” e-book will click at least one link in that ebook because he is interested in this type of products. That’s why he downloaded it in the first place.
Now you figure out the rest!

One of the best things about network marketing is its emphasis on Personal Development. Personal Development is any activity that helps you to develop your talents and potential. In order to realize your dreams and aspirations you need to understand and develop those character traits and abilities that will lead to your success. Personal Development usually comes in the form of Motivational messages from leaders who have/ are become successful.

One of my first encounters with personal development came by way of a book called The Slight: Turning Simple Disciplines Into Massive Success. Olson shows that simple decisions made consistently over time will lead to good results. These are based on simple philosophies that drive the way you think. Positive philosophies lead to positive attitudes which will drive positive actions, which will lead to success.

Another leader in the area of personal development is Jim Rohn. Jim is known as one of the great business philosophers of our time. Jim spoke to over 5 million people from all over the world. He has numerous awards including the National speakers Association, CPAE Award and the Master of Influence Award.

Here is a sampling from Jim’s Treasury of Quotes that reflect on his philosophy on life and business:

Skills: Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.

Growth: Don’t join an easy crowd. You won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform and achieve are high.

Change: We generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation.

Activity: The few who do are the envy of the many who watch.

Success: Success is what you attract by the person you become. (https://www.jimrohn.com/jim-rohn-biography)

Jim Rohn is indeed one of the greats in personal development. In fact many of the leaders today look at Jim as their mentor and many of the things that they teach come directly or indirectly from the teaching of Jim Rohn.

One of the motivators that fires me up the most is Les Brown Les has a compelling story. He, along with his twin brother, was born in an abandoned house in Liberty City Florida. He was labeled as educable Mentally Retarded and was held back several times in school. He met a teacher who he credits for changing his life by changing the way he saw himself. Les went on to become a greatly sought after motivational speaker, a talk show host and wrote several books. Check out his story below:

It’s Not OVER Until You Win! Your Dream is Possible

I have mentioned just a few of the leaders in personal development but there are many more. Here is a list of books that I have found to be eye opening and has helped me to change the way I think and approach my business: